Old Wound
by samararh3
Summary: This story explores what happened in between the cut scenes from the flashbacks of Lin's accident and history with her sister. Rated T for drama and some graphic imagery. I do not own LoK.
1. The Incident

Old Wound

It was just another day out on patrol; Officer Beifong was driving down Howl Boulevard, a quaint little street in the heart of downtown Republic City. Some people were milling about, but most of the markets and shops were located a few streets over. She surveyed the area as she drove, watching for law-breaking citizens, but everything seemed to be relatively normal and calm.

Lin was just contemplating what she would make for dinner that night, when her radio sounded. She listened intently to the voice coming through the speaker, ready to spring into action if needed.

"Calling all units. Robbery reported on the corner of Fifth and Harbor. Suspect vehicle headed south on Howl Boulevard. Units responding identify."

Realizing the perps were traveling on the exact same street, Lin looked down to pick up the radio and pressed the red button on the side before speaking, "Unit 3 responding."

She barely got out her response before a black Satomobile raced past her in the opposite direction. Without hesitation, Officer Beifong pulled the siren alarm and swung the police car around to chase the criminals down. They must have realized a cop was tailing them because they turned down a busy street that was always packed with pedestrians, probably hoping that no cop would risk the safety of that many civilians. They obviously did not know who they were dealing with. Lin Beifong expertly swerved and dodged in that crowded square with a look of great determination that never changed or wavered. In fact, Lin's ability to stay cool and focused under pressure was one of her greatest strengths as an officer.

As Lin caught up to the fleeing vehicle, she leaned out the side of her car and cast a metal cable from her holster that shot out and wrapped around the back wheel. The wheel flew into the air and the getaway car spun out, but the two guys inside took off running immediately. In the mean time, Beifong had slammed on the breaks and jumped onto the street; she was not going to let these guys get away. Lin took her horse stance and slung two cables out from the holsters on either side of her uniform, coiling the ends around the ankles of the runaways. The two boys fell and, with a scowl, Lin began coiling her cables back in to pull them toward her.

Then, an all too familiar voice spoke from the wreckage of the getaway car. "Leave them alone." Suyin Beifong called as she climbed shakily out of the vehicle.

"Su?" Said Lin, horrified as she laid eyes on her sister.

"Don't hurt me, please!" yelled one of the boys still flat on the dirt road. This outburst made Lin click back into cop mode pretty quick. Her shocked expression turned into a deep frown.

"You - stay put." She said pointing at Su menacingly before cuffing the boys and setting them on the curb. Once she was done, Lin returned to her sister with a white hot anger burning inside. She punched the beam attached to the windshield, causing the metal to dent.

"So, you're robbing stores with the Terra Triad now?" Lin asked with disdain, but not surprise.

"I didn't steal anything" Su said with her hands on her hips, explaining very clearly that she had done nothing wrong. "I just drove the car. I owed my friends a favor. It's not a big deal."

Lin paused for a moment and stared forward at the sixteen year old girl before her; Su always managed to get out of trouble even though she was often the cause of it. Lin had been seething about this for years, but this time, Su had broken the law and she was fed up enough to do something about it. "I'm not letting you get away with this."

Su just laughed haughtily. "Oh, what are you going to do, officer? Arrest me?" She asked rhetorically, knowing that she would have no consequences from their mother about this. Su turned to walk away, waving off her sister like she couldn't care less. This pushed Lin over the edge.

"Don't even think about taking one more step!" Lin shouted, enraged, using both her officer and big sister voice at the same time.

Su paused for a moment out of reflex, but felt that this was just another one of her sister's attempts to control her life. She frowned and walked forward, ignoring the warning.

Furious, Lin leaped into a stance and shot out a cable which wrapped tightly around Su's wrist. The tension of the metal caused Su to freeze in her tracks. With a burst of anger Su whipped around creating a blade out of the metal wrist cuff on her free hand. With one swift motion, she sliced the cable with a loud scraping sound, sparks flying.

It happened so fast that Lin was not quick enough to stop it. The cable slung back toward Lin and the frayed end ripped into the skin on her cheek

"AAAAAHHHH!" Lin doubled over and pressed her hands to the wound, feeling a blinding pain she could not control.

Su froze, mortified as blood began to trickle down her sister's knuckles and plop onto the road like a disturbing red rain.

Lin knelt on the ground for support and pulled her trembling hands away, seeing now that they were covered in blood. She looked up at Su with a desperate anger in her eyes. "What did you do?" She managed through clenched teeth.

Su immediately shook her head and stepped forward. "It wasn't my fault! I didn't mean to - it was an accident!"

Lin stood slowly, pulling herself up by holding onto the broken down car, her sister continuing to plea innocent.

"Save it." Lin grunted with her face twisted into a scowl as she approached the young Beifong. She gripped Su's forearm with so much force that her fingernails dug into the skin. She began to pull her back toward the police car when Su pulled back in pain.

"Ow! Stop it! You're hurting me!" Su yelled, but regretted it instantly.

Lin whirled around, the blood now streaming down her neck, infuriated that Su had the nerve to say something so insensitive. After a few seconds, the young girl slacked and Officer Beifong resumed hauling her over to the cop car. She opened the double doors in the back and shoved her sister inside without a word. As she was walking back to get the other two delinquents she left on the curb, another siren was sounding and getting louder by the second. Lin was just pushing the two guys into the back of her car when another two officers arrived on the scene.

Not wanting a big fuss over her wound, Lin moved alongside the car and staggered to the passenger door. She was starting to feel light headed from the blood loss. She took a deep breath and reached into the glove compartment where the first aid kit was stored.

"Officer Beifong?" A male officer named Kuzo called from the other side of the car. "Is everything alright here?"

She plunged her hand into the kit and pulled out a set of thick gauze. Hands shaking, Lin taped them haphazardly onto her cheek, hoping this would stop the bleeding.

"Beifong?" He asked again, and rounded the vehicle.

"The situation is contained," she said, and climbed from the passenger to the driver's seat so her co-worker couldn't see her face. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I've got the robbers in the back of the truck. Taking them to the station now."

"Affirmative." Officer Kuzo said professionally, "I'll call out forensics to take a look at the wreck and bag the merchandise."

Lin nodded and turned the key in the ignition. "I'll handle the arrest reports." She said quickly, wanting to get out of there before he noticed the blood. "Radio me directly if you have any questions."

"You got it, Beifong." He said and waved as she drove off.

The ride over to the station was a little dicey due to a bit of dizziness and difficulty focusing. Once she arrived, Lin handed Su and the two boys off to several officers who met her outside of police headquarters waiting to take them to a holding cell. She tried to be discreet, but it wasn't long before someone noticed the blood on her face and hands. Thankfully, they knew not to ask; such a comment would not be well received.

She walked straight into the atrium, first aid kit in hand, and made for the circulation desk. Usually, she would get the arrest report forms from the third floor in the detective's division, but she did not want to risk running into the Chief before this whole thing was processed. Lin ignored the attendant's disgusted expression upon seeing all of the dried blood on her hands, face, and neck.

"Can I have an arrest form, please?" Lin asked, all business.

"Of - of course." The woman stammered and handed her a folder with all of the materials she could need.

"Thank you." Lin grumbled and and set off again to get away from the silent stares of her colleagues. Unfortunately, she was not alone for too long before one of her co-workers, a detective in homicide, arrived at her left side.

"Glad I caught you Officer. I still need your statement on the Little Ba Sing Se stabbing from last week." The man asked as he struggled to keep up with her pace. "You're in and out of here with bad guys so fast - it's a wonder I ever see you."

Lin just continued on, not saying a word.

The detective noticed her stern expression and lack of response, but didn't give up on her. With a bit of a chuckle, he tried to slow her down by placing his hand on her shoulder. "C'mon Beifong, take a breather!"

She ignored him still, not wanting to have to face anyone or explain what happened. He frowned as she yanked away, "Slow down, would ya?" He said, but this time he ran up and stood directly in her path, causing her to stop. He gasped sharply, not expecting to see the aftermath of a bloody wound.

"Lin, what - what happened to your face?"

"Do I look like I have time to talk right now, Fong?" She asked with frustration.

"Are you okay - I - "

"Excuse me." She said shortly and took off again right into the ladies restroom.

Lin moved inside and placed the first aid kit onto the counter, then reluctantly looked up into the mirror. The gauze that she had taped over her wound were patchy with colors of red and brown and her skin was smeared from cheek to chin with dried blood. Lin exhaled and looked down as she began literally and figuratively washing her hands of this horrible incident.

Once her hands were sanitized, Lin reached to gingerly remove the bandage. As she pulled it off, she revealed two fairly deep lacerations that extended from underneath her jawline to the middle of her cheek. Lin took a deep breath and took out a cloth and a bottle of medical alcohol from the kit. She held the materials over the sink, soaking the cloth in the pungent liquid before quickly pressing it onto her right cheek.

Lin groaned loudly, wincing from the stinging pain as the alcohol seeped into her wound. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears began to leak out. She had to will herself out of crying because the saltiness would only make the pain worse. After a few moments the stinging lessened and she could finally clean up properly. It was a process, but eventually she was able to properly tape on the new gauze.

After cleaning out the sink leaving no trace of her accident, she took the folder with the report forms and slipped quietly to fill them out in the solace of an interrogation room.


	2. Mom's Office

Old Wound Ch 2

Toph was in her office when she heard the news. It had been a quiet morning, so when there was an outburst of conversation right outside of her door, she was intrigued. Her keen hearing picked up a couple of key phrases such as "Yes, she's in a holding cell now" and "I'm not going to be the one who tells her!"

The Chief rose from her desk and walked out into the detective's division.

"Tell me what?" She asked suspiciously. At the sound of her voice, they all grew silent and froze. She waited for a few moments for a response, but when one didn't come, she sighed, "Alright, who dropped the ball?" She asked in a playful tone. "How many times have I told you not to tell the Chief when you mess up?"

"Heh, heh. Good one Chief." Her Lieutenant responded awkwardly out of the silence. She could feel the tense heartbeats of every single person in the room.

"Seriously guys, what's going on?" She asked directly, dropping the niceties.

One of the officers behind Lieutenant Crane pushed him forward, forcing him to be the one to speak.

"Uh - Chief? I don't know how to tell you this, but -" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, not sure how she would react.

"Spit it out, would you?" She said impatiently.

"Your daughter's been arrested."

At these words, Toph tensed and stiffened. "My office, Crane." She said calmly and ushered him inside before slamming the doors shut with the real emotion she was feeling.

"I thought I instructed you to come straight to me if something like this ever happened!?" She exploded as soon as the door was closed. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I did as I was instructed." He responded with an even temper. "I told no one and I came here the moment I received the arrest report, but -"

"Arrest report? That means Su has already been here for hours!" Toph reacted, her anger at the Lieutenant waning, but her frustration with the situation escalating.

"Yes... By the time I knew anything about this, the whole building was buzzing about it."

Toph shook her head and massaged her temples; this was bad.

"What are the charges?" She asked, sedately, not seeing many ways out of this unless her daughter's actions were redeemable.

"Allegedly aiding in a triad robbery by means of driving the getaway car, also public endangerment, and refusal to cooperate."

Toph sighed loudly and practically fell into her desk chair, her head in her hands.

"I need to hear the whole thing. Will you read me the report in it's entirety?" She said soberly.

"Of course, Chief."

Toph listened intently as Crane spouted off the details of the arrest, unbelievably furious that her own daughter was stupid enough to get mixed up with the Terra Triads. One thing was gnawing at her the further he read. She had yet to hear the name of the officer who made this report. Whoever it was had carefully left out pronouns and only referred to to him or herself as Unit 3.

She held out her hand to halt his speech for a moment. "Who filed this report?"

Crane sighed and hesitated, knowing that this information would not be well received.

"Well - that's the thing... Officer Beifong was the one who -"

"Oh, for the love of -" Toph stood, slamming her palm on the desk, unable to process this anger. Lin had no business arresting her younger sister! More than anyone, Lin knew the gravity of her mother's position and how an incident like this could ruin her. She took a breath, attempting to control herself. "Where is Suyin now?"

"A holding cell in block B." He responded sympathetically.

Toph moved out from behind her desk and stormed to the door. "The minute Officer Beifong surfaces, alert me at once." She said just before barreling through the detective's division and down the stairs.

Chief Beifong arrived at the holding cells attempting to contain her anger. Using her seismic sense, she felt for Suyin who was standing in the back of a holding cell with her arms crossed. When Su saw her mom, she stood up straight, knowing that she was being released. Without a word, Toph unlocked the cell with her metalbending and nodded for Su to follow.

With her daughter keeping up closely behind her, Toph made a b-line straight for her office. When they arrived, Toph pointed for Su to enter the room and sit down. Su sighed, but complied anyway.

The Chief hesitated for a moment at the Lieutenant's desk and leaned down. "We are not to be disturbed, understood."

"Affirmative, Chief."

Toph took a breath before she walked inside and locked the door.

"Mom, I -" Su said as she attempted to start a conversation in her defense.

"One thing! Your whole life I have only ever asked you for one thing!" Toph snapped. "Do you know what that is?"

"Oh, I don't know - To be a better daughter?" Su retorted sarcastically, but was secretly not joking.

"Drop the attitude, kid, and answer the question!"

Su sighed and groaned, "to stay out of trouble..."

"And you've done a bang up job following that rule!"

"It wasn't a big deal! I was just driving the - "

"Not a big deal? Spirits - You were arrested!"

"By Lin." She corrected, snarkily.

"Save it!" Toph growled and pushed on her temples. "We'll discuss this when your sister gets here."

Suyin sighed and crossed her arms again, knowing she was not going to be heard. Just then, a knock came at the door.

Toph marched over and opened it quickly. "You find her?" She asked Lieutenant Crane, who she recognized by how he rapped on the door.

"I just spotted her in the hallway." He whispered and stepped out of the way. It was a good thing too, because Toph moved past him so fast he could have spun around.

She hurried to the hallway, able to feel her eldest daughter walking away. "My office, Beifong!" She called out once she reached the hallway.

Lin jumped, startled, and then sighed. She knew this argument was coming. Reluctantly, she turned around. "I'm on duty right now, Chief. Can it wait?"

Toph was fuming. "My office. Now."

Officer Beifong took a breath and followed this order, not wanting to cause a scene in front of co-workers. They re-entered the detective's division, but Lin stopped just shy of the Chief's office doorway once she noticed who was inside.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Lin asked bitterly.

"You don't think mom was actually going to let you arrest me, did you?"

Toph quickly shoved Lin inside the room and shut the door for privacy.

"Shut it, Su! You broke the law and you know it!"

"Leave me alone, Sasquatch!"

"Delinquent!"

"Enough!" Toph shouted "Both of you! Sit down and shut up!"

The two sisters sat at the chairs in front of their mom's desk without another word while Toph opened the door again and stepped outside. She took a calming breath, but then noticed that there was a tense silence all around the would-be bustling room. "Back to work, all of you." She said in a defeated tone and turned to Crane's desk. "The arrest report, please." She said and held out her hand. "And Crane - "

"I know, I know. Do not disturb."

She nodded and re-entered her office for the final time and locked the door. Slowly, she made her way behind her desk and then slammed the papers onto the surface in front of Lin. "What were you thinking? And what were YOU thinking?" Toph asked and gestured to Su and then Lin respectively. "You two have put me in an impossible position!"

Lin reacted immediately while Su maintained her crossed arms and 'whatever' face.

"You're mad at me?" Lin asked with surprise and then turned toward her sister. "She's the one who was running around with criminals!"

"This is all your fault!" Su argued.

"I was just doing my job!" Lin retorted with disdain as they glared at each other.

In an effort to stop the sniping, Toph interjected in an exasperated tone,"Alright, enough!" Overwhelmed by the weight of this issue and the desire to fix this problem quick, she continued. "Here's what we're going to do. Su, you need to leave the city as soon as possible."

"What? Where am I supposed to go?"

"You'll go stay with your grandparents." She snapped, still feeling incredibly angry at her daughter for starting all this. "Lin," she sighed and held out her hand, "give me the arrest report."

Without thinking about it or arguing, Lin handed it over and then watched horrified as Chief Beifong ripped the papers in half.

"Mom, what are you doing? You can't cover this up! There were witnesses." She said, feeling like her mother was undermining all of her values and hard work.

Toph knew it was unethical, but what other choice did they have? No matter what the cost, she had to keep up appearances and prevent Suyin from being in the system.

"I am the Chief of Police! I can't have a daughter in jail!" She said forcefully. Su was of legal age to be tried as an adult. If a trial were to happen, Su would be looking at no less then a year behind bars with good behavior.

"So, once again, Su gets to do whatever she wants and there are no consequences." Lin stated for what felt like the hundredth time.

Toph sighed and sat down, her fingers pressing on her temples to relieve this overwhelming stress. "This is our only option."

After a few minutes of seething in silence, Lin stood abruptly. "This is NOT our only option. Su needs to take responsibility for what she did!"

"This is not your decision to make, kid!"

"It is your responsibility as Chief of Police to uphold the law! You can't let her get away with this!"

"Responsibility? One day, if you ever have children, maybe then you'll understand responsibility."

"I'm sorry, but someone has to be the voice of reason here. I am not going to stand by and let both of you break the law! The second I leave this office, I'm going to write another arrest report." She finished and swiftly made for the door.

"Lin, wait." Toph said and stood.

Lin paused, he hand on the door handle, thinking maybe her mother had come to her senses.

"You write that arrest report - and you're fired." Toph said in a soft, but firm tone.

Lin froze, her heart pounding like crazy because she knew this wasn't a bluff. After a minute of crushing silence, Lin stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Toph sighed loudly and fell into her chair, cradling her head in her hands.

Suyin, who had been sitting there defensively as she listened to the argument, finally softened as she felt the consequences of her actions starting to settle in her mind.

"Mom, I'm - "

"Can it. Get your things. We're going home." Toph said without any more patience and collected her belongings.

Su just sighed and complied - powerless.


	3. Goodbyes

Old Wound Chapter 3

It was a tense day and a half for the Beifong household after the incident. Everyone mostly kept to themselves, not wanting to spawn any more fruitless arguments.

Toph contacted her parents in Gaoling and organized Su's trip: Suyin would leave on the mid-day train and arrive with the grandparents later that evening. Once there, in that strict household, Su would be forced to stay out of trouble.

Su busied herself with packing, not wanting to leave anything important behind. Her mom said that this stay with her grandparents was indefinite, so she was worried that if she didn't take everything, she would never see it again.

Forced to take a day off work, Lin sequestered herself in her room and only came out for necessities. It was times like this when she wished she had moved out a long time ago. She refused to talk to anyone and grew more and more resentful with every passing moment, still not believing that this was happening.

The day moved slowly, but finally it was almost time for Su to leave. Instead of knocking, Toph opened Lin's bedroom door and leaned in.

"Su's train leaves in an hour." She said.

Lin was sitting at her desk, the newspaper sprawled out on it's surface.

"So?" Lin asked spitefully.

"So, she's your sister, which means you are going to get your butt out of that chair and take her to the train station with me."

"Not a chance."

"So, that's it, huh? What's your problem?"

"You are my problem! Both of you! Su screwed up, Mom, and I am not going to forgive her for what she did - not this time..." Lin said with frustration and lightly stroked the bandage on her cheek.

"Hey, you listen - "

"No, YOU listen!" Lin yelled and stood, "I am SICK of being the only one who always does the right thing around here! I have been trying for YEARS to keep Su from falling off the deep end and doing something like this! ME! I can't keep turning a blind eye to protect her when she can't even make simple decisions like not aiding in a robbery! I am the one who has tried to keep her on a good path, but - I am not her mother! YOU ARE! And the fact is - YOU haven't been around enough to try and prevent this!"

Toph had stepped all the way into Lin's room and closed the door to muffle the shouting. "How dare you!" She stated forcefully in a quieter tone, but her voice began to waver as she spoke. "I have always done my best to do right by you girls, and this is the thanks I get?"

Lin backed off immediately when she noticed tears forming in her mother's eyes. This didn't happen very often, so when it did, there was always more pent up emotion than what she was letting on. "Mom, I didn't mean that - "

"Weather you agree with me or not, I am going to protect my daughter - no matter the cost. If that means sending her away, then that's what I'm going to do." Barely keeping it together until the end of the sentence, Toph covered her face with her hand as tears fell from her eyes.

Taken aback by this outburst of emotion, Lin realized that it was not this seemingly easy decision to send her youngest daughter away indefinitely. Even though Su was terrible, she was still the baby of the family. Lin felt a pang of sadness as she watched her mother cry, hoping all of this would be over soon. When she didn't stop after a minute or so, Lin walked over to her mom and put her hand on her shoulder. "I'm - sorry I yelled... I'll go with you to the train station." Not to support Su, but to support her mother.

Toph sniffed and wiped her eyes. "We'll leave in ten minutes." She said, gaining back some of her composure before leaving the room.

Once they arrived at the train station, it was time to say goodbye.

"Make sure you are good for your grandparents. You had better stay out of trouble over there. If you slip up, I won't be able to intervene like I did this time." Toph said seriously.

"Whatever." Su said in her typical fashion.

"Well, I - hope you have a safe ride. Send a message when you arrive."

"I guess."

Toph took a deep breath and hugged Su for a quick second before stepping away. "Alright, say goodbye to your sister - I - uh... I need to have a word with the conductor."

Lin stood close by with her arms crossed. As their mom walked toward the front of the train, she saw her wipe away a few tears.

"I can't believe mom is sending me away." Su complained.

"Yeah, you don't deserve this."

"Exactly!" Su responded in agreement.

"No. You don't deserve this. Getting off easy because mom can't bear to let you throw your life away." Lin said with distaste.

"Oh, come on. She doesn't care. She's just getting rid of me so she doesn't have to punish me herself."

"This is no punishment. This is mom giving you your best chance - your last chance to get your act together. You are so - unbelievably lucky that you have mom, but you are too immature and wrapped up in your own self to see that this is destroying her! You don't even understand what she is sacrificing for your freedom!"

"I am NOT immature."

"Mom deserves a better daughter than you. You would be in prison if it were up to me."

"No one asked you! You know what? I'm glad I'm going to grandma's because at least I'll be far away from YOU!" Su yelled and stomped toward the train car.

"Good! Maybe you'll finally learn your lesson!"

"Yeah, the lesson is that my HALF sister doesn't care about me and is so controlling that she would rather see her own family in a jail cell!"

"Hey! I was the one cleaning up your messes and taking care of you while mom was working. Don't say that I didn't care!"

"You only care about yourself!"

Lin was about to respond, but she heard shuffling to her right and glanced over to see Toph walking back over.

"Stop yelling." She scolded in a low voice. "Mom's coming back."

"I'm not sorry." Su said quietly, uttering the last words she would say to Lin for nearly thirty years.

"Well, it looks like you're all set. Better find a seat on the train, kiddo." Toph said, faking a smile.

Su nodded and then hugged her mom tightly around the waist. Obviously something Lin said struck a chord...

"Bye mom..." She said sadly, still hugging.

"See ya later, kid..."

When Su pulled away she took one last distrustful look at Lin before making her way into the train. Toph held back tears as as Su went to take her seat. After the train screeched and rumbled into the distance, Toph found a nearby bench to fall onto. A few tears at a time streamed down her cheeks but she was quiet.

Lin walked over and sat next to her mom, knowing what emptiness she was probably feeling. She put her hand on Toph's shoulder for comfort and took a deep breath of the cool spring air as she watched the caboose of the train disappear behind the mountain.


	4. Done

Old Wound Ch. 4

After a dramatic goodbye at the train station and a silent car ride back to the house, Lin decided to take a long walk alone to clear her head. With all that had happened and all that had been said, she was feeling emotionally spent.

It kept gnawing at her how Su left things between them, particularly two choice phrases that kept repeating in her mind. Su had used it as an insult before, but this time "Half-Sister" really stung. Lin had always attempted to take care of her, but if Su believed they weren't really family than that's what she was going to get. Lin was done trying. The other phrase was Su's last words to her before she got on the train. "I'm not sorry." This was just the punctuation on the end of a sentence that had already been written. For a long time Su had indicated that she showed no remorse for her actions or how they affected Lin. This time it was definite, and Lin knew that it didn't matter to her so-called sister if she was in emotional or physical pain.

At this thought, she touched the bandage on her cheek. She hadn't told anyone what had happened, not even the Chief. It was easy to leave that information out of the arrest report, so unless it was stated in conversation or in writing, how else would Toph know? The truth was - she didn't want to tell anybody that her little sister was the one to injure her face. To save her pride, she would rather people think it was some other kind of accident.

By this point, Lin had walked quite a ways from home and was nearing the edge of downtown. She eventually came to the Market Square, thinking that maybe she could work up an appetite for lunch if she could get over feeling so lousy. Though she was off work, it was a normal day for everyone else so the walkways and vendor stations were bustling with people. She looked around, hoping something would spark her interest.

She rounded the corner to another side of the Market, then froze as she spotted a familiar face at a fruit vendor's cart. He wan't hard to spot - as if the bright orange and yellow robes weren't enough, the blue arrow tattoo on his head was a giveaway.

Lin turned to walk away - Tenzin was the last person she wanted to see right now.

"Lin" His voice called from afar. In spite of herself, she turned to look at him. He smiled and waved, then made a gesture for her to wait as he paid for his bag of leecheequats.

While he was distracted, she ducked out of the marketplace through two more vendor carts and made for the park. She hadn't seen Tenzin in several years and this was hardly the time to have a reunion. He had been away for 3 years training to become an airbending master and traveling from temple to temple. She received a letter every once in a while, but it wasn't very consistent and she hardly wrote back. She heard word that he had returned several months prior, but never had the time to see him.

Lin heard her name called again from somewhere behind and immediately broke into a run. Something about seeing Tenzin made all of this real for her. He knew her family and the conflicts over the years, he was the person she would go to when she needed to talk, and before they knew about the 3 year period of absence, it looked like they were on a path to becoming more than just friends.

With all of the stress of the last few days, Lin grew tired from running and stopped to catch her breath by the bay. She bent over, her hands on her knees as she heaved several exhausted breaths. It wasn't long before his voice was right beside her.

"Lin?" Tenzin said softly, but it still caused her to jump. His bright smile from before had turned into a look of concern, and then it became a fearful look as he noticed the blood-stained bandages near her jawline - they were hard to miss... "Lin, what - what happened to your face?"

She was still breathing heavily as she looked over at him, and then everything hit her like a train - everything she was feeling; her injury, her failed arrest, the heated confrontations, her mother crying... She just couldn't take it anymore!

That was when the strong, confident, no nonsense earthbender began to cry... She bowed her head and covered her face with her hands, not wanting to be too obvious or cause a scene. Tenzin, not even knowing what this was all about, dropped his bag of leecheequats and stepped forward, embracing her in his arms. For a while, she just cried as he hugged her, unable to speak and unable to move. After a few minutes, she calmed down and pulled away.

"I'm - I'm sorry... I just..." She couldn't find the words to explain to Tenzin that seeing him again was a little to much for her to take.

"I don't have anywhere to be. Let's sit and you can tell me what happened."

Lin nodded, feeling utterly embarrassed, but she appreciated his kindness and felt that she at least owed him an explanation. They sat down together on a bench overlooking the bay and Tenzin listened intently as she recalled every moment to him over the last few days. When people walked by, she quieted down - no one could know about this cover-up. She started with the arrest, including what happened with the injury and how she really got it. She told him all about each confrontation and the terrible things Su said to her at the train station.

"Do you think I'm selfish?" Lin asked after all was said and done.

"Su doesn't know what she's talking about." He replied quickly.

"You didn't answer my question." She stated and sniffed away the sadness from before.

He sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. "Lin, you are one of the most self-less people I have ever met. Su's just young - she can't see it now because you are the face of discipline in the house. One day she'll realize that you were just trying to protect her." He said thoughtfully.

"I'm not so sure." She said and looked out to the water. "I also don't really care if she comes to her senses. I'm done with her. I don't want to see her. I don't want to talk to her. I'm done..."

"Well -" Tenzin started, trying to collect a few insights that would be helpful. "She is the one who burnt this bridge between the two of you. It makes sense that you want her to be the one who mends it."

"That's the problem, Tenzin... Even if she tries to fix this, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive her..."

"You never know. It was the monks who said, holding on to resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. It's better to forgive. If not for her, than for yourself."

Lin glared at him for a moment and then a sudden smile crept over her lips.

"Spirits, you're the worst." She chuckled. "Now that you're back, should I expect that you'll always talk in wise remarks and give worldly advice?"

Tenzin smiled and shook his head - this was the Lin he knew and he was happy, and frankly a little annoyed, to see it. "Lin Beifong, Ladies and Gentlemen!"

She laughed and punched him lightly in the arm. "It's good to see you, Tenzin."

"It's good to see you too." They regarded each other for a moment and then Lin looked off into the water again and stood.

"I should probably get back to mom. She's a little fragile after all of this..."

Tenzin stood to meet her and nodded. "Of course. If there's anything I can do, or if you need -"

"I know." She said and smiled sweetly. "Thank you for listening. I think that's enough for now." She gave him one more hug before starting on her walk home.

"When will I see you next?" He called after her.

She turned around and smiled. "Let's not make it three years this time!"


	5. A Visitor

Old Wound Ch 5

After a few days things began to return to normal. Lin went back to work, but Toph was still taking some more time. She told the Captain that she was sick, but in truth, she was devastated and felt too depressed to work. Having to send her youngest daughter away to cover up an arrest was not the highest point of her life and career. Toph spent most of her time on the couch listening to the radio, feeling exhausted from lack of sleep.

On this particular afternoon, Lin was on duty at the station and Toph was alone at the house. Fending for herself for lunch, she put on a pot of rice and then lay back down on the couch to rest for a minute. Shortly after, a sudden knock at the door startled her awake.

As Toph shifted her feet onto the floor, she recognized her visitor immediately. She took a deep breath before opening the door, not wanting to look tired or sad.

"Katara? What are you doing here?" She asked skeptically as she opened the door.

Katara was smiling and bright as usual; she carried a box with a handle in one hand and a wrapped dish in the other.

"Nice to see you too, Toph." She responded, but then changed her demeanor as she sniffed the air. "Is something burning?"

"My rice!" Toph scrambled into the kitchen, smoke pouring out of the pot. She moved it off the burner and turned off the heat. Coughing the smoke out of her lungs, she waved her hand to fan some of it away. Katara ran in right behind her, water from a f lower vase encasing her hand in the event she needed to put out a fire.

"What's burning?" She asked urgently.

"Just my lunch." She said with frustration and coughed again. "I only closed my eyes for a second..."

Katara sighed with relief and set her things down on the counter. "Rice is hardly a meal anyway." She said and moved further into the kitchen. She also fanned the air and then dumped the spoiled rice into the garbage can. "I brought you some leftovers. How about you go sit down on the couch and I'll make you a plate?"

"Fine." She agreed through a sigh, not willing to argue. She moved to the couch and sat with her head in her hands.

As Katara looked around the kitchen, she grimaced at the sight of such disarray; the sink was full of dirty dishes, and pots and pans littered the counter tops. Managing to find a single clean plate, she scooped some cold soba noodle salad on to it. Luckily, she had brought her own chopsticks.

"Where's Lin today?" She called from the kitchen.

"Working." Toph responded tiredly.

"So, how are you doing?" Katara asked in that fake chipper tone as she brought her friend the food and placed it on the tea table.

"I'm fine." She grunted and picked up the plate to eat.

"How's work?" She asked.

"Fine." Toph responded curtly with a mouthful of food, not taking kindly to being berated with questions.

"And how are the girls?"

By this last question, Toph had enough. "Why are you here?" She snapped, done with this cordial charade. "I know you better than that. I haven't seen you in months. You don't just come to my house and bring me leftovers and ask me how things are going. Look around! I think it's pretty obvious!"

"Okay. You're right... I heard about what happened and I wanted to check up on you two... I should have called first. I'm sorry." She said, her voice doused with pity.

Toph was quiet for a few moments as she picked at her plate. "How did you find out?"

"Lin ran into Tenzin a couple of days ago at the park. Apparently she was very upset and -"

Toph sighed again and applied pressure to her aching temples. "She wasn't supposed to tell anyone about this."

"I know this is a delicate situation but, to be completely honest, I'm surprised she didn't come straight to me. To tell you the truth, I was hoping she would be here too so I could take a look."

Annoyed with the realization that she was lacking some information, Toph set down her food. "What are you talking about?"

"All I'm saying is that if she needed a healer, she should have come to me. I'm actually disappointed that you didn't make her."

"Why would Lin need a healer?"

"For the wound." Katara explained, "From what Tenzin described, it sounds like it's too deep to fully heal on its own. If she doesn't take care of it soon, she could be left with a sizable scar. Especially on the face..."

Toph sat back on the couch searching her memories and trying to recall anything that was said about a wound.

"You didn't know - did you?" Katara asked, suddenly horrified that she had said something she shouldn't have.

"Yes... Of course I did." She lied defensively, but something about the timbre of her voice still gave it away.

Sensing that she was conflicted, Katara jumped into fix-it mode. "Tenzin didn't give me any details about the incident - he just said that something happened between the girls resulting in this wound and Su was being sent away." She said carefully, but her friend was quiet and looked to be lost in thought. "Oh Toph, I didn't mean to impose. I just wanted to help."

"I know... Uh... I - I think you should go." Toph responded, feeling emotionally charged again. As if losing Su wasn't enough, now she had this issue with Lin to deal with...

"Go? But, I -"

"Thanks for checking in and bringing me the food."

"You're welcome, but - don't you want me to stick around a little while longer? We can talk or... I can help clean up around here and take a look at Lin's face when she gets back." Katara attempted, hoping that she could be there for her friend.

"No, I - I need to be alone when my daughter gets home..." Toph said soberly.

"Okay." Katara responded softly and then offered a hug. "Just - make sure to eat and give me a call if you need anything."

Toph sunk into her embrace, holding back tears. "Thanks Katara." She said as they parted. "I'm sure I'll want to talk eventually... Just - not now."

"Sounds good." She said and made for the door. "If I don't hear from you tomorrow, I'm coming back over here."

"Ugh. You're the worst." Toph managed to playfully reply. It wouldn't be Katara if she didn't always stick her nose where it didn't belong. "Get outta here."

Katara smiled and then left Toph alone with her thoughts. It was going to be a long day...


	6. I Know, You Know

Old Wound Ch 6

After a long evening at the station and patrolling the streets, it was time for Lin to retire for the night. She had purposefully taken another late shift as to not have to interact with her mother when she got home - their last several encounters had been extremely uncomfortable. Trying to be quiet, she unlocked the door and slipped inside their dark house, only to find that there was the sound of running water in the kitchen.

"Mom?" Lin called with confusion as she flipped on the lights in the living room.

"Hey kid. How's the fort?" Toph asked from the sink in the kitchen as she scrubbed the bottom of the rice pot with hot soapy water.

"Nothing much to report." She replied and moved toward the couch to take off her shoes. She plopped down with relief and slid the boots off her feet. "Caught some kids vandalizing the Fire Nation Monument. Other than that, the streets were calm."

"Vandalism huh? Did you read them the riot act?"

"I let them have it all right. Scared the pants off of them."

"That's my girl." Toph had given up on the rice pot and moved on to some of the other dishes.

Lin watched her mom for a few minutes finding it extremely odd that she was doing housework, especially in her recent state. Lin stood and walked to stand in the kitchen door frame.

"What gives, Chief?" She asked directly. "Dishes are usually my job around here. I actually thought you would be asleep by now."

"You've been working late and this place is a pigsty. I thought one of us should do something about it." Toph was back to the pot, this time with a scraper to chisel off the burnt residue.

Lin couldn't keep watching her struggle with something so simple. It was sad. "Let me do it. You should get some sleep."

"I'm not tired, alright!" She responded with frustration and actually bent a whole right through the metal pot.

"Fine..." Lin said, giving up. "I'm going to bed then..."

Toph took a breath and rinsed the soap off her hands before going after Lin. "How about you sit down and have some tea with me first?"

Lin stopped in her tracks, slumping her shoulders. "Look mom, I'm really tired and -"

"Just one cup. It'll be good for you."

"Fine." She agreed reluctantly and moved back to the couch.

"I put on some water a few minutes before you walked in." She said casually and reached into the cabinet to feel for the tea tins. She grabbed the one on the right and examined the lid with her fingers - two tiny bumps in the tin indicated decaf.

Lin sat awkwardly as her mom prepared the tea and brought it to the table. Toph paused for a moment before taking a seat.

"Your heart rate is elevated. Why are you nervous?" She asked.

"Because we never just have tea late at night." Lin responded as she watched the leaves swirl around in the liquid.

Toph sighed for a long time as if she was preparing herself to speak. "Okay, kid... Here's the deal... I need you to tell me everything that happened with Su the other day."

"You were read the arrest report." She said after a moment, stating a fact so that the human lie detector wouldn't catch her in another fib.

"I have it on good authority that you left some pertinent information out of the file."

"I left nothing out."

"Do not lie to me." Toph hissed.

"It's irrelevant what I wrote in the report, since you tore it in half." She retorted and crossed her arms.

"Tell me what actually happened out there." Toph demanded.

Lin regarded her for a moment and then shook her head. "You already know, don't you?"

Toph reached out and barely grazed the cheek bandage before Lin flinched away.

"Ah! Don't touch it!" She responded involuntarily.

"Apparently I don't know as much as I should. It's time to fill in the blanks."

Lin stood up and violently crossed the room. "Fine. I was hurt, okay?" Lin raised her voice, "Su slashed the cable I had around her wrist - it slung back and struck me in the face. Are you happy?!"

"How bad is it?" Toph asked, attempting to keep a level head.

"It's two gashes. I have it under control. With time, it will heal."

"No. It won't. Not if you don't see a healer. Katara said that if your wounds are deep, you may have permanent scaring. Is that what you want?" Toph challenged, feeling more angry than she had only a few moments ago.

"I can handle healing it myself and - wait... Katara said?" Lin trailed off realizing where she had gotten her information. "Tenzin..."

"Yeah, and while we're on that - I thought we agreed that we would keep this quiet!"

"I didn't think that he would -"

"No, you didn't think! You never think! If this cover-up gets out I could lose my job and the whole life I built for us here! Don't you get that?!"

"I know, I know. I'm sor - No! I am not going to apologize for confiding in a friend when I needed to get some things off my chest! You were so messed up over having to send Su away that you didn't even stop to THINK about how this whole thing has affected me!" Lin yelled, on the verge of tears.

"And what about me, huh?" Toph asked, feeling emotional as well. "How could you keep this from me? I never thought that you would take advantage of my lack of eyesight in this way."

"Oh please!" Lin exclaimed, but was cut off.

"I am your mother and I should have heard it from you! Not from someone else! You!" Toph shouted, her anger littered with sorrow.

"I didn't want this to be about me!" Lin pleaded, her voice coated in sadness. "What happened to me is not important. Suyin broke the law! I didn't need to have an injury on record to prove that."

"It's important to me." Toph responded quietly. "And if you don't get this fixed, you are going to be reminded of that day for the REST of your life." She continued through clenched teeth. "Let me tell you - if I had the luxury of sight - I wouldn't want to look into the mirror each day and see the remnants of this painful experience etched onto my face! You are only going to end up angry and bitter."

"What does it matter? I'll get that from YOU anyway." Lin said forcefully and stomped away, slamming the door to her bedroom in the process.


	7. The Chief's Office

Old Wound Ch. 7

Three weeks passed slowly after the inevitable blowout between Toph and Lin. They had barely spoken more than a few curt words to each other at a time.

Toph had returned to work about a week after Su left on the train, but kept to herself at headquarters and at home. She always fancied herself as the type of person who would never let anything break her, but her daughter's words about ending up just like her really struck a chord. She never wanted any of this - for either of her children...

As opposed to Toph's quiet and professional coping mechanism, Lin took another involuntary approach. At work she became consistently irritated, overly forceful with perps, and was having trouble controlling her temper. This was most unlike Lin, who was usually so poised and polished while on duty. Everything seemed to remind her of how Su and her own mother tip-toed around the law and got away with it. And on top of all of it, by allowing this to happen, Lin was technically an accomplice! Though she could talk herself out of feeling guilty, the thought still fueled her anger.

Eventually her behavior got so unpredictable, she was called into the Chief's office.

Officer Beifong walked through the detective's division, noticing the prying eyes of her peers glance up from their desks and then look away at the last second. She audibly grunted when someone actually got up and left the room. When she reached the Chief's door at the end of the row of desks. Lin could feel her colleagues staring at her, but quickly chased the thought away because she had to be in the mindset for a formal meeting. She took a soothing breath and knocked.

"Enter." Chief Beifong called from the other side.

As Officer Beifong stepped inside, she was surprised to meet the faces of, not only the Chief, but also Captain Hiro and Lieutenant Crane.

"Captain - Lieutenant - Chief." She greeted professionally and bowed out of respect knowing that with all of them together, this wouldn't be good.

"Good afternoon officer. I trust you have finished your patrol for the day." Captain Hiro said politely to break the ice.

"Yes sir. My reports are already referenced and filed, sir."

"Excellent!" He acknowledged and then smiled awkwardly.

Chief Beifong waved her hand and slammed the door shut. The others jumped slightly, but Lin didn't so much as flinch. "Do you know why you are here today, Officer?" the Chief asked abruptly.

Lin's face was stony and calm, but that was the problem with Toph; she could certainly feel her daughter's inner turmoil. "I can't say that I do." She responded in an even timbre.

"We - have received several reports from civilians and staff concerning your - behavior as of late..." Hiro stated with a sympathetic tone, not seeming to be taking any pleasure in this meeting.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I understand. Has my work been unsatisfactory?" She asked.

"No, no!" Lieutenant Crane chimed in, also sympathetic. "You yield more results than some of our best detectives."

"Then please forgive me but, what is this about?" Lin asked, this time directing the question to the Chief herself, wondering why Toph needed backup to speak to her own daughter.

"You have been consistently irritable and flippant, you are not following protocol in even the simplest cases, and your behavior has been erratic at best." Toph said seriously, showing no emotion unlike Hiro and Crane who looked extremely uncomfortable.

Lin bowed her head slightly, feeling a mixture of anger and utter embarrassment. The worst part was that she couldn't even think of a solid argument against these accusations. There was no denying it even if she felt that sometimes her elevated actions were justified.

She took a breath; being apologetic was not in her nature. "I - apologize - if I caused any grief. It was not my intention to -" She started through tight lips, but was interrupted.

"If? This is not an 'if.' Several of the complaints we received are now on file as formal reprimands." The Chief added, elevating her tone.

"Okay, look... I -" She said, hoping to explain away some of these so-called complaints, but was again cut off.

"I have two from civilians and another four from staff at headquarters." Toph began. "One report said you used excessive force and unfairly detained a shoplifting teenager."

"He tried to run." She interjected defensively.

"Another said that you yelled at a few officers for intercepting your patrol, thereby infringing on your quota for the month."

"They had no business in my jurisdiction, so I told them to get lost. What's the big -"

"You disobeyed direct orders in a mission and entered into dangerous territory without any regard for the safety of the other officers on the case with you!"

"We won the day because of me!"

"That's not the point, Lin!"

Lin took in a sharp breath and anger swelled up inside. Toph never called her "Lin" at work; it was far too informal. Suddenly this whole meeting had turned into a mother reprimanding her child, and Lin couldn't take it anymore.

"You've been irresponsible -" Toph continued on her tirade, "- uncooperative -"

"Stop."

"- Arrogant -"

"Don't do this..."

"A sorry excuse for -"

"That's enough!" She yelled, her fists clenched and her body shaking with rage.

The silence that followed her outburst seemed to last a lifetime. Toph was still; incredibly disappointed that her daughter broke under pressure and lost face in front of her superiors.

Lin's anger dissipated when she came back to her senses and made eye contact with Crane and then Hiro, who was shaking his head slightly. "Please - please forgive me." She said quickly and bowed low. "I meant no disrespect."

Hiro stepped forward, "Lin, we know you have been going through a - difficult time lately, but unfortunately, there is little we can do in this situation."

She stood up straight again. "What are you saying?" Lin asked fearfully.

"We're saying that -" Hiro started, but sighed and couldn't finish the thought.

Chief Beifong stepped in right away. "We are ordering you to take a sabbatical from headquarters effective immediately."

"A sabbatical?" Lin repeated, feeling a mixture of 'at least I'm not fired' and 'this is incredibly unfair.' "For how long?"

Hiro was the first to respond. "You will receive paid leave and free housing in Yu Dao where you will instruct at the Metalbending Academy."

"How long?" She asked again.

"It's a year-long -" Crane mumbled, but didn't get the chance to finish.

"A year?" Lin reacted as if someone had just punched her in the stomach.

"We know this is not ideal," Crane said, "but we think that - in light of recent events - you need some time to take a step back and focus on your mental health."

"We will monitor your progress and then send for you when we think you are ready to return." Hiro added, as if this made it any easier. "Could be less than a year if things go well for you."

"And if I don't accept this?" Lin inquired, but she already knew the answer.

"Then we will instead file for your termination from the police force." Chief Beifong stated, all business.

Lin nodded, feeling defeated, but couldn't stop the maddening thoughts that raced in and out of her brain. Judging by the looks on the Captain and Lieutenant's faces and how they presented the information, this order did not come from them. This was all her mother.

"With all due respect," She said calmly, "may I please speak with the Chief alone for a minute?"

Hiro and Crane exchanged a glance.

The captain cleared his throat. " I have some files to attend to. Please excuse me."

"And I - I have some - investigating - or - I'll be going now..." Crane added awkwardly as the two of them exited.

For a good few minutes, neither woman spoke, but it was Lin who eventually broke the silence.

"So that's it? You're sending me away just as you did Su?" She asked, her voice shaking from disappointment. When Toph didn't respond, she continued. "How could you do this to me, mom? You know how much I care about this job." No response again. Lin shook hear head and took another breath to try and stay calm. "How is it that I am again being punished for something that my so-called sister -"

"Stop." Toph ordered and held up her hand. "We are not going to discuss personal matters in this building."

"Are you kidding? This whole situation is personal."

"You are taking a sabbatical because of your actions while on duty, not because of what happened with your sister." Toph took a labored breath and rubbed one of her eyes. "Let's not do this here. Go home. I'll be along in another hour or so."

Lin just shook her head and left without a word.


	8. Leave

Old Wound: Chapter 8

When Toph returned home for the night, she was tired and unwilling to have yet another argument. Feeling Lin's presence in the bedroom, Toph set her personal belongings on the tea table and took a breath before mustering up the courage to walk into her daughter's room. For once she knocked, but when there was no response, she opened the door.

"Hey kid." She said, as if nothing were wrong.

Lin didn't make a sound and she folded another item of clothing that was strewn out on her bed.

"What are you doing?" Toph asked carefully as she hovered in the doorway.

"Packing." Lin replied curtly and stuffed a pile of clothes into her duffel bag.

Toph sighed quietly feeling like there was definitely another fight in store. After a minute or so of silence, she spoke again. "This is for your own good, you know."

"You know what, mom? I don't want to hear it." Lin said with frustration.

Toph exhaled loudly, forcing herself to talk instead of following her gut and giving her daughter space. "Look, kid..."

"I am not a kid." Lin stated clearly in a monotone.

Toph nodded and responded, "Okay Lin, that's fair. You're not a kid anymore."

"Then why are you treating me like one?" She asked and turned to face her mother. "I've been taking care of myself since I was eight. By ten I was responsible for Su. I was helpful at home, I did well in school, and then once I was old enough, I got a job so that I could help provide for the family and do my part as a citizen of Republic City."

"I don't need the list..." Toph agreed sincerely.

"How could you do this to me?" Lin reiterated from their conversation at headquarters earlier that same day.

"As I said - we received several formal complaints about your behavior. Hiro, Crane, and I looked into each incident personally before making the difficult decision to put you on leave."

"Come on, Mom. Tell me the truth. This didn't come from Hiro or Crane. I could see it in their eyes. Why can't you just admit that you want me to leave?" She asked coldly.

Toph took a small step back, genuinely hurt by this accusation. "Why would I want you to go?"

"Oh, I don't know." Lin continued spitefully. "Maybe to assuage some of your guilt about what happened? Or maybe you realized that with Su and I gone, you could finally have the life you always wanted?"

"Lin, this isn't easy for me..." She replied, on the verge of tears again. "I already had to say goodbye to one daughter this month, and now I have to - " She stopped and took a labored breath, willing herself not to cry. "At least I know that you'll be coming back."

Lin processed this information quietly. Though her mother clearly felt remorse for what she had done, Lin still felt betrayed and was still unwilling to let her guard down.

"You asked for the truth, so here it is..." Toph continued when her daughter didn't speak. "You're right. I was the one to make the final call about sending you on leave. When an officer - any officer - suffers trauma in the line of duty, it is the recommended protocol that he or she is given time to recuperate before returning to the workplace."

Lin involuntarily touched the bandages on her cheek, then crossed her arms in denial. "I don't need time. I need to be able to do my work. I am fine."

"No. You're not fine. You're hurt, and you're angry, and you have every right to be. The problem is, you're taking it out on everyone else when you should be taking it out on me. So, go ahead. Get angry. Really let me have it. I'm giving you a free shot."

Lin took in a sharp breath, rage bubbling under a steely demeanor. She didn't want to give her mother the satisfaction of knowing she was right. "No." She refused in a low voice, resisting the urge to really blow up.

"You can't hide it from me. I can feel your heart racing. You're furious."

Lin clenched her teeth. "For the last time, I'm fine."

"Oh," Toph began, with a condescending chuckle. "So, you're doing the 'I'm fine' plea? Don't think you can pull that move on me. I invented that!" She said moved forward too far into her daughter's personal space.

"Stop baiting me." Lin said with conviction and jerked back so she would be out of swinging range in case she suddenly got the itch to punch something.

"Come on!" Toph pushed, her volume elevating. "You have some things to get off your chest, so just do it!"

"Leave me alone." Lin said quickly.

"Wow. I never took you for a coward, Lin."

Lin froze, the last straw starting to break.

"Some earthbender you are - can't even face me head-on!"

"Stop." She uttered, her fists clenched as her will power began to wane.

"You're just like me when I was your age!"

"Shut up."

"You try to put up this tough front, but you're really just a kid who doesn't -"

"I AM NOT A KID!" Lin exploded, completely losing control. "And STOP trying to tell me how I feel! You couldn't possibly understand what I have been going through these last few weeks and it's because YOU - DON'T - CARE! You NEVER CARED! You say you always tried your best with us, but you didn't! You threw yourself into your work and expected me to pick up YOUR slack as a parent!" Lin took a cursory breath, still prepped with more to say. "Any time Su would act up, it was my word against hers and you would never - EVER take my side! She turned into a lying, thieving delinquent because YOU were never around!I was there making her lunch, forcing her to go to school, and caring for her more than you EVER DID, and this is the thanks I get?" She yelled and gestured to her facial wounds. "Su calls me her 'half-sister' and tells me she's not sorry?! But that was only after YOU took her side AGAIN, making my authority garbage to her!" She took another breath, shaking with fury. "You know, I don't deserve to be treated this way when all I ever did was try to please YOU! And now I am AGAIN being punished for doing the right thing! So, that's it! I've had it! I'm DONE trying to keep our family together! I am DONE trying and failing with my so-called half-sister who has done nothing but destroy my life since the day she was born! And I am DONE with YOU!" She shouted, finishing her lengthy tirade.

Toph stood resolute, taking the verbal punches like a champ, knowing that Lin never would have said those things if she hadn't pushed her into it.

Lin's heart was pounding and her entire body was tingling with rage. Once the feeling started to subside, she was left with an overwhelming sense of emptiness. As she came back to her senses, she kept having flashes of things she never would have said to her mother's face. She gently cupped her hand over her whole face, feeling all of her emotions re-surging at once. Her heaving breaths became more shallow as tears rolled down her cheeks. Feeling weak, Lin backed up and lowered herself onto the bed and sat with her head in her hands.

Toph waited patiently until her daughter's heartbeat calmed down. She sighed sadly and approached quietly before sitting by her side. She placed her hand on Lin's shoulder and stroked it lovingly with her thumb.

"I'm sorry..." Lin said as she collected herself.

"Don't be."

Lin inhaled deeply. "I'm just - I'm upset and - I'm angry all the time - and I don't know how to handle this. - I thought I knew. I did my job and followed the letter of the law thinking that I finally got her on something that she would have to answer for. Something that she couldn't talk her way out of. It just - It infuriates me that Su doesn't have to suffer the consequences."

"I know... Toph said with empathy and sighed. After a minute or two of silence, Toph opened her mouth to say what she didn't want to admit out loud. "Would it make you feel any better if I told you that I feel - incredibly guilty about what I did?"

Lin sniffed and wiped away the stray wetness from under her eyes. "Yes. It does make me a feel a little better, thanks."

"Look, I respect you for trying to muscle through and come to work, but - sometimes knowing when to take a step back shows more wisdom. Allowing yourself to take a break will save your pride and protect that stellar reputation you have worked so hard to achieve. That's why I think getting some distance and going to teach at the Metalbending Academy will do you some good."

Lin sighed for a long time. Toph had succeeded in making Lin lose face, and she realized it had been too easy for her to do so. Perhaps space if what she needed. "I have my doubts about this being in any way a good thing, but - maybe - you're right..."

"Hey, now you're catching on." Toph said with a small smile and patted her on the back. She stood. "Good thing too. Those complaints were getting worrisome."

"What do you mean?"

Toph cracked a smirk. "You instill a certain amount of - fear in people. No one wants to be on the receiving end of your bad side, which - makes me proud for personal reasons, but needless to say - I don't want my staff feeling threatened at headquarters. They get enough of that on the street."

"They're scared of me?" Lin asked almost amused. "What do they think I'll do to them? Frame them for murder?"

"I don't know, Lin, but I do think it's a good thing you're heading to the Academy. It's okay if your students fear you. You'll basically have 25 punching bags that you can smack around for several weeks at a time."

"That's true." Lin agreed and stood. "They'd better watch it."

Toph laughed, "That's my girl. - Plus - The Academy is where I took my first step - and I know how much you want to follow in mommy's footsteps." She teased.

"Oh, shut up." Lin retorted and turned back to the unfolded clothes on the bed.

"I'm just saying - I learned a lot about being a police chief from teaching at the Academy and I think you will too."

"Yeah, right Chief. Like you'll ever let me take your title."

Toph smiled wistfully and joked, "Chief Beifong. I like the sound of that."


End file.
